The measure of the working woman

Source: The post is based on the article “The measure of the working woman” published in The Hindu on 19^th October 2023.

Syllabus: GS 2 – Social Issues – Problems associated with Women

Relevance: challenges women face while working outside home

News: Traditional Indian family roles limit women to caregiving at home while men work outside. This model hampers women’s full workforce participation, which is unsustainable for India’s growing economy.

What are some of the findings of the women workforce?

Economist Claudia Goldin’s Findings: Economist Claudia Goldin’s 2023 Nobel Prize-winning work reveals that while all women work, not all are paid for their labor.

National Statistical Office Report: According to the National Statistical Office, 81.2% of women are engaged in unpaid domestic services, compared to 26.1% of men.

It also found that men focus more on traditional economic activities, whereas women dedicate more time to household maintenance and caregiving.

As a result, women face a double burden as their outside work doesn’t reduce household responsibilities, and their caregiving work isn’t considered into economic estimates, leaving them with less leisure time than men.

SBI Report: According to an SBI report, women’s unpaid work contributes 7.5% to the GDP, reflecting their dual role in managing domestic responsibilities and boosting the economy. However, these contributions often go unacknowledged in official records.

What challenges do women encounter when they work outside of their homes?

Lack of Support in Low-Income Families: In low-income families in India, women are working hard to support their families, but they are not getting the support they need. Their work is often invisible, not reflected in the data and undervalued.

A study found that 44% of women participate in the labor force over a four-month period, but only 2% are counted when looking at a longer four-year duration.

Childcare Issues: Domestic responsibilities limit women’s employment, and when they do work, their children are often exposed to dangerous conditions such as at construction sites.

This can harm their children’s health and development, and undermine subsequent investments in education, health, and skill development.

What are the possible solutions to enhance women’s involvement in the workforce?

Improving Anganwadi System: The Indian government’s Anganwadi system is the largest public child services network worldwide, most successful with community participation in rural areas.

However, their operating hours (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) still leave women in need of additional childcare options to accommodate full eight-hour work.

Structural Changes: The Indian government should include women’s unpaid work in economic indicators to value their contributions and provide them with the same labor protections as other workers along.

Additionally, they should receive better support to participate in economic activities outside the home.

Enhancing Public Creches: The National Creche Scheme, with around 6,500 creches as of 2020, supports mothers in building stable careers while ensuring a safe environment for children.

While the private sectors’ creches caters to high-income families, the public sector needs to increase its efforts to address income inequality and offer quality child services through creches for everyone.